<p>GAINESVILLE, Fla. When the worlds largest particle accelerator goes live later this week, University of Florida physicists will join thousands of scientists working to crack the last major mysteries of the physical universe.</p>
<p>More than 30 UF physicists, postdoctoral associates and graduate students are involved in the colliders Compact Muon Spectrometer, or CMS, experiment, one of its two major experiments. About 10 are stationed in Geneva. The group is the largest from any university in the U.S. to participate in the CMS experiment, said Guenakh Mitselmakher, a UF distinguished professor of physics who heads the project.</p>
<p>The UF team designed and oversaw development of a major detector within the CMS. The detector, the Muon system, is intended to capture subatomic particles called muons, which are heavier cousins of electrons. Among other efforts, UF scientists analyzed about 100 of the 400 detector chambers placed within the Muon system to be sure they were functioning properly. The bulk of the UF research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.</p>